Bone marrow tests check whether your bone marrow is healthy and making normal amounts of blood cells. The two bone marrow tests are aspiration and biopsy.
- Aspiration collects a small amount of bone marrow fluid through a larger needle.
- Biopsy tests are often done at the same time as the aspiration test. A biopsy test collects a small amount of bone marrow tissue through a larger needle.
These tests can help find the cause of low or high blood cell counts. They also play an important role in checking how well treatments for certain types of cancers, such as leukemia or lymphoma, are working.
Before this procedure, be sure to tell your provider about current medicines you are taking, known allergies to medicines, if you are pregnant, or if you have a bleeding disorder.
Bone marrow tests can be done in a hospital or doctor’s office or clinic. You may be awake for your test and may be given medicine to relax you during the test. You may also be under anesthesia for this test, if recommended by your care team. You will lie on your side or stomach or back, depending on where your provider obtains the samples from. Your provider will clean and numb the top ridge of the hipbone or rib bone, where the needle will be inserted. You may feel a brief, sharp pain when the needle is inserted and when the bone marrow is aspirated. The bone marrow samples will be studied in a laboratory.
After your test, you will have a small bandage on the site where the needle was inserted. Most people go home the same day. You will need a ride home if you received medicines to relax you during the test. You may have mild discomfort but likely won’t have any pain after the test. Your doctor may have you take an over-the-counter pain medicine. Call your provider if you are in serious pain or if you develop symptoms including:
- Fever
- Redness
- Swelling
- Discharge at the needle injection site
